Beliefs and Practices

The Rule of St. Benedict

Image of St. Benedict on a mural in Memorial Lobby

The Rule of St. Benedict was written as a guide to living life in community. It was not the first "rule" for Christian followers, but its common-sense approach and Scripture-based guidelines have stood the test of time.

Here are some commentsabout theRule from Fr. Harry Hagan, OSB, a monk of Saint Meinrad Archabbey:

A Guide to Monastic Life

St. Benedict wrote hisRuleroughly between 530 and 540 A.D. during the decline of the Roman Empire. Despite the chaos of the invading tribes, St. Benedict produced a classic statement on the monastic life.

By "classic," I mean a statement that transcends its historical situation. Though some of the guidelines belong only to its historical context, much in theRuleprovides a vision that speaks not just to monastic life, but to life as a Christian and as a human being.

TheRulebelongs generally to the wisdom tradition. This includes biblical wisdom such as the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Sirach. Wisdom literature balances opposing values.

An Example of Wisdom Literature

For example, "A stitch in time saves nine" is balanced by "Haste makes waste." The wise not only know both sayings, but they also know which one applies to the present situation--whether to act quickly or to move carefully and deliberately.

Wisdom is experiential knowledge that comes from living and not just studying. An understanding of theRule comes not just from studying, but from living and being a part of a tradition.

Wisdom literature is wider than the Bible. Egypt had a number of "instructions," typically by a sage to his "son."

In similar fashion, St. Benedict opens hisRuleby calling on the disciple to listen to the teacher, and so theRule establishs the classic master-disciple relationship that can be found in many cultures. This relationship depends on the disciple entrusting himself or herself to the teacher in mutual trust and respect.